Trares
What a weird week it has been.
There’s been no Disney Channel or Nickelodeon on in the background. A surprising lack of chicken nuggets and mac ‘n’ cheese have been cooked in our kitchen. I could lay down on the couch and read a book for as long as I wanted.
I didn’t like it.
Anthony had the opportunity to spend the week with his grandparents in southern Indiana. What has become known as “Camp Uma-Papa” has become a summertime tradition, with constant playing, special trips to local parks and the lax adherence to rules that grandmas and grandpas are known for.
He’s been having a blast. My wife and I keep getting photos of him hiking at Turkey Run State Park, clutching a new toy he received or just lounging on the couch in his pajamas in the middle of the afternoon.
One we got last weekend just showed Anthony with a jar of marshmallow fluff, smiling ear-to-ear as he prepares to shove a spoonful of pure sugar into his mouth.
Spending time with your grandparents is a vital part of growing up; I remember the weekends and spring breaks I’d get to hang around my grandma and grandpa’s house as a child, where some of my best memories were born.
And my wife and I have been able to enjoy just being with each other. We got to go to a fancy restaurant without any complaints! We went out with friends without trying to arrange a babysitter! We saw a movie that had no Minions or Disney characters in it!
But something has definitely been missing around the house, and that something is the sassy jokes, the trail of left-out toys and the constant giggles that we’ve grown so accustomed to.
The energy just hasn’t been the same.
Parenting is hard, and over the years there have definitely been some times when I look back wistfully to those days when I could sleep in as long as my heart desired or watch whatever movies I wanted to on TV.
This week has confirmed what I already knew, though — life is better when Anthony is around.
Anthony’s time at Camp Uma-Papa comes to a close this weekend, and our family of three will be back together. My wife and I have already been excitedly planning what we should do once our boy is back. Visions of pool time, back-to-school shopping and a fun meal out have danced in our heads.
I’ll even happily watch whatever Disney movie Anthony wants to.
I can’t wait.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
